The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-01-01
The Bath In Cold weather.

With the first cold change many
peoplc drop out of summer habits OF
bathing. which have kept the SKID IN
lone. and begin winter system OF aP
plvinp water to face, hands ana nech
nnIy. with occasional foot-washing.
The boys who are said 10 have slcKen'
ed or died from overwhelming at the
public baths are great arguments 'oI
these folks. But overwhelming ls Que
thing. and allover bathing quite au
other. Because cold plunge batn on
a chilly morning is species OF mar.
tvrdom. except for thetratned skiu ana
robust constitution, It does not follow
that all.over bathing should be aban
doned. It is In fact more necessary 10
keen the skin in fine order over the
entire nerson in winter than 1t Is In
summer. because inclination does no'
nromnt any but trained skins to de-
maf,fi IL at ti,is or 9 later season OF the
year. In summer the batntuo neeus. ~
argument, nor should the sponge oa."
at any season for the person VINO Ies.
pects his own flesh. The SKID 10 me
second or supplementary lungs. II
DISCUSSES the best choice OF wafer ior
ablutions, the whole subject OF natns
and soaps, and recommends timlu
bathers how to get on without the
shock OF plunge bath. Except 10
such radiant beings who thrive on
reactions, any shock by cold water 10
bad. It is infamous to drop niue
children, screaming and shtvering
little wretches, into cold water "to
harden them" Their nerves are never
ENTHUSIASTICALLY tangled by such per-
formances. Even grown people should
use tepid water In preference to cold,
n comfortable results do not follow the
cold sponging. Water is much pet
ter conductor of heat (rom the BODY
thar, air is. When the air stands at
77o we call 1t a warm day, but a bath
at 77o degrees by the same thermome"
ter ia q cold hath for most persons. BY
bepinninp with wet towel bath OF
water that causes only pleasant con.
sciousness in the skin (say at 90
Fahrenheit) the circulation may be so
promoted by the vigorous rubbing and
the skin so improved in tone that each
day the temperature of the water may
be lowered, until the healthy skin be-
comes the true safeguard against cold
and catarrh. We "take cold" through
the skin, it should be. remembered, as
we also breathe throughtt, throwing or
superfluous heat-Which becomes feve'
when the Precipitation is suppressed
and also sending off waste products
Persons who have any tendency u
pulmonary diseases should make thei'
skins active. DR.. Morriss rather re-
pre,s that civilized beings cannot very
we'll indulge in air baths and sun baths
Few skins get enough airing he says
which is probably the reason why 9th
erwise conventional persons enjoy
lingering on the beach in summer II
the extremely fractional bathing dress
now in vogue A double.handful o
common salt thrown into the bathing
water ssafter the cleaning process ha'
been performed is beneficial addition
The saline particles are very penetra
ting, and no amount Of rubbing VII
remove them from the skin, upoi
which they exert most useful, Though
very gentle, stimulating influence
especially salutary in cases OF slugg,s'
liver. Not only does this act local..
on the skin, increasing its secretions
but also quickens the processes Q
nutrition in all the tissues OF the body. :
A man worn with excessive muscula
labor should take warm bath, tn
calming effects from which resemble
sleep. DIR. Morriss divides invalid
(and well people) into two classes
those who have a reserve strength
who thrive on cold baths, and thos
whose feeble functions should be assis
ted by warm baths. Feeble function
are not feeble muscles; the latter in a
indolent person derive strength tror
the cold bath, which encourages {
exercise afterwards, and this make
muscles grow. Thumbless mittens {
ordinary Turkish toweling are as goo
as the more costly sponges for the lux
ury of the daily Grub BATH" A larg
Turkish towel, wrung out
either tepid or cold water, wi
expedite the bathing process
and by all means provide goot
Iy sized towel for the dry rub after
wards. Turkish towels that come tn
siza of crib sheets are most useful IL
this, and the luxury of keeping tW
linen bath sheets in daily use is know
to the initiated few. After either
cold or a warm plunge bath the imm'
diate covering of the whole body in
large wrap of linen or the soft tufte
cotton gives sensation OF luxury tn;
some people never know.